Sweeping choice of powertrains drives the company in many directions

Originally published: May 8, 2012

Ford launched its "Power of Choice" media tour at the West Vancouver Community Centre recently, and who knows more about bringing "power to the people" than this legendary auto-maker?

It also provided me my first opportunity to drive a new pure-electric version of the Ford Focus, which will be available through Ford dealers this month. Yes, that’s May of this year.

Ford is currently going through an internal powertrain revolution that will dramatically reduce its entire product line fuel-economy numbers. Six new electrified vehicles will be introduced within the next year, including the new C-MAX Hybrid and the C-MAX Energi, a plug-in hybrid. And 90 per cent of all Ford products will offer high fuel efficiency EcoBoost engine technology.

While the practice of offering car buyers a choice of powertrains is not a new idea, the scope and variety of these offerings certainly chart an exciting new direction. On the same production line, Ford will build gas engine, hybrid power, plug-in hybrid power and pure electric power vehicles. A dramatic change from "what size gas engine do you want?"

This allows Ford to quickly ramp-up its production volume on the powertrain choice that customers want to have in their car. And this gives Ford a competitive edge if, for some reason (like a dramatic spike in the price of oil), there’s a sudden change in powertrain popularity.

One of these new choices is the Ford Focus Electric, a vehicle that completely releases its owner from the gasoline pump addiction and ups and downs of the precarious oil market. It offers compact, more stable advanced lithium-ion battery packs (there are two) and a full charge (from empty) in three to four hours, with a Level II charger, is possible. Ford claims the range on a full charge is in the 160-kilometre neighbourhood.

Even though my stint behind the wheel of the Focus Electric was a short one, it’s the most car-like full electric vehicle I’ve driven. There’s power the instant your foot presses on the accelerator and it’s whisper quiet in operation, as expected from an electric motor driven car. Its weight balance and handling characteristics, however, appeared to better than other electric vehicles I’ve driven. So, I’m definitely looking forward to a longer period behind the wheel at a later date.

Focus Electric uses an advanced active liquid-cooling and heating system to keep its lithium-ion battery packs (one in trunk and another under the rear seat) at an optimum operating temperature in all types of weather conditions. Like most batteries, it doesn’t like to get too hot or too cold (which is understandable) and could have performance issues during the extremes that our Canadian climate can chuck at us. And a happy lithium-ion battery also tends to last longer.

To assist buyers purchase an EV home charger, Ford of Canada has formed partnerships with Best Buy, the home electronics retailer, and Leviton, an electronics manufacturer. The Level II home charging station is a portable unit that plugs into a 240-volt outlet, installed by an electrician. Best Buy will offer consultation and installation services through Geek Squad and other third-party licensed electrical con-tractors. The cost of home charging station with standard installation will retail for approximately $1,599 and in B.C. owners can apply for a $500 government rebate. The new Focus Electric will be Ford’s first all-electric (zero-emissions) passenger car and is priced at $41,499. It also qualifies for an eco-friendly government grant in B.C., which is an up-to-$5,000 point-of-sale reduction in the price.

Bob McHugh is a freelance auto-motive journalist, writing on behalf of BCAA. Contact him at driving-wheel@shaw.ca